The Book 
We Study 





David S, Warner 



*- C^ .( 



^^m ^'' m 





Book. 



>^Z 



Copyright]^", 



CDF»UGHT DEPOSir. 



The Book We Study 



The Book We Study 

A Brief Tribute to 
the Holy Scriptures 



DAVID S^ WARNER 



Chicago : 

1132 Washington Boulevard 

W. B. Rose, Agent 

1921 




^^'^ 



Copyright, 1921 
DAVID S. WARNER 



22.9TNVr 

g)C!.A653591 



PREFACE 

It is not our purpose in the prepara- 
tion of this booklet to view the Bible 
from the standpoint of history, philoso- 
phy, theolog;^^ or mere literature, but 
to pay a brief tribute to the sacred Vol- 
ume, God's great gift to man. We have 
gathered the estimates which many dis- 
tinguished persons in various walks in 
life have of the Bible. Some are mod- 
ern and some speak from the remote 
past. With one voice they exalt the 
precious Word of God. It is our ear- 
nest desire that this little work may 
bring courage and comfort to some, at 
least, of those who shall read it. 



INTRODUCTION 

The Bible is the Book of which we 
speak, and is THE BOOK in compari- 
son with all the other books in the 
world. A catalogue giving the titles of 
books now in print in the United States 
with their authors and publishers is as 
large as an unabridged dictionary of 
the English language, yet the Bible is 
the one Book in all the world. When 
Sir Walter Scott lay dying at his home 
in Abbottsford, Scotland, he asked 
Lockhart, his son-in-law, to read to him. 
Lockhart asked, *^Prom what book shall 
I read?'' Scott replied, ''Need you 
ask? There is only one Book." Lock- 
hart read to him the fourteenth chap- 
ter of John and he was comforted, as 
has been many another by the words 
there recorded. Since this is the one 



INTEODUCTION 

Book, it is worthy of our study. More 
than that, it demands our study. 

On one occasion Dean Stanley, a 
noted clergyman and author of the last 
century, was visiting Heinrich Ewald, 
a great German scholar and critic, and 
during their conversation Ewald took 
up a copy of the New Testament, say- 
ing, *'A11 the wisdom of the world is in 
this little Book." The Bible is worthy 
of such tributes as these and of tributes 
immeasurably stronger. 

Day by day and year by year the Bi- 
ble is proving its worth and its right to 
live and do its work for the uplifting 
and salvation of humanity. The de- 
mand for the Scriptures was never as 
great as now, and many, many of these 
demands cannot yet be filled. The 
American Bible Society has been com- 
pelled to refuse requests for funds for 
Bible manufacture and distribution in 
1921 amounting to many hundred thou- 

8 



INTEODUOTION 

sand dollars. Calls have come to this 
society from all parts of the United 
States, from Central and South Amer- 
ica, from Europe, Asia and Africa, and 
from the islands of the sea. 

The Bible is the only book for which 
there is such a demand, and naturally 
so, for it is THE BOOK of all books. 
The Bible society just mentioned is 
looking forward to the securing of a 
five-million-dollar annual budget for the 
prosecution of its work. The British 
and Foreign Bible Society is doing a 
vast amount of work in giving the Book 
to the world, and yet the demand is not 
met. The Bible is adapted to every con- 
dition of mankind in every land under 
the sun. It is at home in the city and 
in the country ; among raw heathen and 
among the cultured ; in the homes of the 
rich and in the homes of the poor; in 
lumber camps and in mining camps; 
in military camps and in industrial cen- 



INTRODUCTION 

ters, and everywhere, in times of adver- 
sity and in times of prosperity. It is 
the Book for all nations, for all classes 
and for all times. It is the Book that 
leaves material improvement, moral up- 
lifting and spiritual life in the train of 
its hearty reception. Any effort to put 
the Bible aside will result in inestimable 
loss, but its whole-souled reception will 
result in inestimable good. 

This is the Book we study in our Sun- 
day-schools, as well as in our private 
and family devotions, and as a treasury 
of truth it is inexhaustible. Its study, 
when carefully and properly pursued, 
will make one wise unto salvation, *^ per- 
fect and thoroughly furnished unto all 
good works'' (2 Tim. 3:15,17). 



lO 



THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOOK 



T"nHE Bible declares itself to be the 
Word of God. Over and over 
iJ again we read in the Pentateuch, 
'^And the Lord spake unto Moses, say- 
ing,'' and in the prophets, ^^The word 
of the Lord came unto me, saying.'' It 
is not stating the whole truth to say 
that the Bible eontains the word of 
God, for the Bible is the word of God. 
'^Holy men of God spake as they were 
moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1: 
21). The words of Jesus Himself make 
up a large part of the four Gospels. 
The claims that the Scriptures make 

II 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

that they are the word of God, cannot 
with any show of reason be denied. 

It is interesting to note the words of 
a great scholar and lifelong student of 
the Scriptures, Origen, who lived in the 
third century of the Christian age. 
With regard to the Gospels, as we now 
have them, and the other books of the 
New Testament, he says, ^^They are re- 
ceived without dispute by the whole 

church of God under heaven 

Matthew sounds first with his priestly 
trumpet in his Gospel; Mark also, and 
Luke and John, sounded with their 
priestly trumpets. Peter likewise sounds 
aloud with the two trumpets of his Epis- 
tles, James also, and Jude; and John 
sounds again with his trumpet in his 
Epistles and the Revelation, and Luke 
also, once more, relating the actions of 

12 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

the apostles. Last of all (in his list of 
books) comes Paul, and, sounding with 
the trumpet of his fourteen Epistles, 
he threw down to the foundations the 
walls of Jericho, and all the engines of 
idolatry, and the schemes of the phi- 
losophers. ' ' 

In the fourth century a minister, 
Pamphilus, learned and wealthy, made 
a collection of all the Christian litera- 
ture that he could gather. Upon his 
death he gave this library to the church 
at Caesarea, in Palestine, his home, for 
the use of Eusebius, the great church 
historian. Pamphilus copied with his 
own hand most of the works of Origen. 
^'Out of this large and rare material 
Eusebius wrote his history of the 
church during the preceding centuries, 
and authenticates the inspired books 

13 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

which had been in use from the begin- 
ning. He includes all found in our 
present canon and no others.'' It is 
not the purpose of this brief work to 
enter into a discussion as to the gen- 
uineness and authenticity of the Scrip- 
tures, but the words of Origen are here 
introduced since they come down to us 
as a clear statement from the early 
Christian church, and show clearly the 
esteem in which tbe Scriptures were 
then held and the confidence with which 
they were accepted. 

The authority of the Book is shown 
by the harmony of its parts. It must 
be borne in mind that it was written 
during a period of more than fifteen 
centuries by about forty different 
writers, in places remote from one an- 
other, and yet the finest consistency 

14 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

and agreement exist among all its parts. 
This is a remarkable fact in view of the 
great and almost numberless changes 
that took place in social, national and 
religious affairs during those centuries. 
The books of the Bible are interrelated 
and the Old Testament and the New 
are necessary to each other. The old 
Latin couplet is expressive : 

"Novum Testamentum in Veteri latet; 
Vetus Testamentum in Novo patet/* 

"The New Testament is in the Old concealed ; 
The Old Testament is in the New revealed.*' 

The nature of the subjects treated in 
the Book and the manner of their treat- 
ment indicate its authority. Philoso- 
phies, ancient and modern, have at- 
tempted to solve the mystery of the 
origin of matter and their conclusions 
have been various and fanciful, as fan- 

15 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

ciful indeed as that of those who de- 
clared that the earth was supported on 
the shoulders of the giant Atlas. When 
asked to tell how Atlas was supported, 
they declared that he stood on the back 
of a tortoise, but they were at a loss to 
tell upon what the tortoise rested. The 
Book takes up the subject of creation 
in the most simple and matter-of-fact 
manner possible and brings to us all the 
information we need on the subject. 
There is no complex argument nor is 
there any indefiniteness in the account. 
^^God said/' *^God made'' and '^God 
spake" are expressions employed in the 
story of creation. 

The Book considers the subject of sin 
in its beginnings upon the race of man, 
shows its consequences and points to a 
remedy. It treats of the future state 

i6 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

with all the positiveness with which 
the present might be discussed. Noth- 
ing that man needs to know for his 
highest well-being is left out. All that 
is essential to his present and eternal 
interests is revealed. He might desire 
to know more about the future than is 
revealed, but the Book does not under- 
take to gratify curiosity. What is re- 
vealed, however, comes to us with di- 
vine authority. 

The remarkable preservation of the 
Scriptures declares in favor of their 
authority. The Book has come down 
to us substantially as God gave it to the 
world through those w^hom He inspired 
to write it. The enemies of God and of 
the Bible have attempted again and 
again to destroy it, and have proph- 
esied that it would be a rejected and 

17 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

forgotten thing in a few years, but 
every such prophecy has thus far failed 
and will ever fail. The ancient man- 
uscripts of the Scriptures vary some- 
what in minor details, but with all 
these various readings, there are none 
that affect a doctrine that is vital to 
man's salvation. This uncorrupted 
preservation of the Book may well be 
looked upon as miraculous, and may be 
regarded as showing its authority. 

No other ancient literature has come 
down to us as well authenticated as 
this. The Jewish scribes were most 
scrupulous in their copying of the 
Scriptures, taking care that no word, 
no letter or part of a letter should be 
omitted or changed. When various 
sects came to exist, each was watchful 
to see that no other made any changes 

i8 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

in the Scriptures. We accept the works 
of the ancient Greek and Latin writers 
as being theirs, as claimed, but upon 
less evidence than we possess respecting 
the writings of the Old Testament and 
of the New. 

The Bible is the book for all ages and 
for all lands and for all peoples and 
has been preserved through the ages, 
and will be preserved to the end of time. 
Profane history over and over again 
confirms the history given to us in the 
Book we study, and ancient ruins with 
their numerous inscriptions declare for 
the authority of the Scriptures. 

The geography of the Book fits the 
lands involved. We read of this city, 
that mountain, that brook, that river 
and that sea, and in the geography of 
Bible lands we find the city, the moun- 

19 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

tain, the brook, the river and the sea. 
Years ago there was a bolt of cloth 
stolen from a factory in England. A 
quiet search was made in an effort to 
locate the stolen property. Shortly 
afterward a bolt of cloth was found that 
appeared to answer the description of 
the stolen goods, yet no witness was 
found that could positively identify it. 
It was a moral certainty that it was the 
stolen bolt of cloth, but the proof was 
lacking. At length a workman in the 
factory thought of a test that would 
shoAV whether or not the cloth found was 
the missing bolt. In the factory the 
cloth, after it had been woven, dressed 
and shrunk, was hung up to dry. It 
was hung by its selvage upon hooks 
in the walls of the drying-room. The 
workman said, ''We will try hanging 

20 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

the cloth on the hooks to see if the holes 
in the selvage correspond with the 
hooks about the room/' It was found 
that the holes in the selvage fitted ex- 
actly the hooks in the wall. For every 
hole there was a corresponding hook. 
Therefore it was shown to the 'satisfac- 
tion of all that the stolen bolt had been 
recovered. 

If we spread the records of the Book 
over Bible lands, we shall find a pleas- 
ing and most remarkable correspond- 
ence between the places mentioned there 
and actual places in the lands involved. 
There is mentioned in the Book the Sea 
of Galilee, and there is the Sea of Gali- 
lee in the land. We read of Mount Car- 
mel, and there it stands in its beauty 
and strength. Jerusalem, ''beautiful 
for situation, ' ' is described in the Book, 

21 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

and it stands on hills and is surrounded 
by hills. Yes, the land and the Book 
are mutually related, and this perfect 
correspondence declares the authority 
of the Bible. 

As we open this precious Book, we 
have the assurance that it is of full 
authority. It is God Himself who is 
speaking, and He is bringing to us the 
message that our very natures crave 
and need. We study its pages with the 
full confidence that its truths are vital 
to our present and eternal well-being. 

The first manuscript version of the 
whole Bible in the English language 
was made by John Wyclif in A. D. 1380. 
The first printed copy of any portion of 
the Scriptures in English was made by 
William Tyndale early in the sixteenth 
century. Tyndale was burned as a 

32 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

martyr for this publication and his last 
words were, ''Lord, open the king of 
England's eyes.'' Following this there 
was published the Matthews Bible, and 
in 1536 Coverdale's Bible was pub- 
lished in London. The clergy were or- 
dered to exhort and encourage all to 
read it. The historian Froude says, **In 
this act was laid the foundation-stone 
on which the whole later history of Eng- 
land, civil as well as ecclesiastical, has 
been reared." A writer on this subject 
says, ''It was a jubilee among the poor 
of England when, for the first time in 
the national history, they could listen 
from Sabbath to Sabbath to 'the sweet 
and glad tidings of the gospel' without 
the fear of prisons, the scourge and the 
stake. " " Everybody that could bought 
the Book and busily read it, or got 

23 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

others to read it to them if they could 
not themselves, and divers more elderly 
people learned to read on purpose. And 
even little boys flocked among the rest 
to hear portions of the Holy Scriptures 
read.'^ 

The Bible has an appeal possessed 
by no other book, and it fills a place 
that no other book can fill. 



24 



II 

THE EXCELLENCE OF THE BOOK 



T"nHE Book is superior in its ex- 
cellence when considered merely 
' as literature. This excellence is 
recognized by the great authors whose 
writings we highly prize, for they have 
made free and copious allusions to 
Scripture events and truths, and have 
quoted with great frequency from the 
sacred Word. The writings of Bacon, 
Shakespeare, Milton, Tennyson, Long- 
fellow, Bryant and a host of others 
would be inexpressibly impoverished 
should all Scripture quotations and al- 
lusions be taken away from them. 

25 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

These allusions and quotations add both 
beauty and strength to the masterpieces 
of literature. 

DeQuincey makes a distinction be- 
tween the literature of wisdom and the 
literature of power. The literature of 
OTsdom has for its purpose the impart- 
ing of information, while the literature 
of power is designed to move the reader 
to action. The Book is both these. It 
gives information obtainable nowhere 
else. Its truths emanate from God 
Himself. It is also a literature of 
power, for it stirs men and women to 
action as does no other book in all the 
world. Who can be unmoved by the 
faith and obedience of Abraham, the in- 
tegrity of Joseph, the fidelity and cour- 
age of Daniel and his companions and 
by the Sermon on the Mount? 

26 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

If one is looking for sublimity and 
eloquence, he can find these in the ut- 
terances of the prophets and of the 
Master and His apostles. Their words 
are tipped with fire not kindled on 
earth. John Milton says, ''There are 
no songs to be compared to the songs of 
Zion, no orations equal to those of the 
prophets.'' Edmund Burke made it a 
practise to read a chapter from Isaiah 
before going to the House of Commons 
because of the inspiration and elevation 
it gave to his thoughts. Daniel Web- 
ster adopted the plan of reading the 
eighth Psalm, which opens with, ''0 
Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy 
name in all the earth, ' ' and contains the 
words, ''When I consider the heavens, 
the work of Thy fingers, the moon and 
the stars, which Thou hast ordained; 

J7 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

what is man that Thou art mindful of 
him? and the son of man, that Thou 
visitest him? For Thou liast made him 
a little lower than the angels, and hast 
crowned him with glory and honour. 
Thou madest him to have dominion over 
the works of Thy hands,'' and also the 
fortieth chapter of Isaiah, as the com- 
pletion of his preparation for deliver- 
ing his speeches before the United 
States Senate. 

^^ Doctor Schaff remarks of the Book 
of Eevelation that it surpasses all the 
other prophetic writings in harmony, 
elevation, fulness, unity of view, prog- 
ress of action, majesty of style, and 
above all, in the direct relation of all 
parts of the picture to the central fig- 
ure of the crucified and now glorified 
Christ, who rules the whole history of 

28 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

the world and the church, and is Alpha 
and Omega, the Beginning and the 
End. ' ' Of this book he says, ^ ^ In a suc- 
cession of visions and mysterious alle- 
gories it unfolds before the reader the 
great epochs of the kingdom of God 
upon earth to the close of its earthly de- 
velopment. Its burden is the comfort- 
ing truth that the Lord comes, the Lord 
fights, the Lord conquers and leads His 
church through tribulation and perse- 
cution to certain victory and eternal 
glory.'' He declares that the Book of 
Revelation was not designed ^ ^ to gratify 
idle curiosity concerning the future, but 
for practical, religious ends." He says, 
'* Prophecy, in the nature of the case, 
remains more or less obscure until it is 
fulfilled. And as the Old Testament 
became clear only in the New, so the 

29 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

Revelation of John can be perfectly 
understood only in the triumphant and 
glorified church. Still it has been a 
book of consolation and hope to the 
church militant in every age, especially 
amid her great persecutions and strug- 
gles; and it will remain so until the 
Lord come in glory, and the New Jeru- 
salem come down from heaven as a 
bride adorned for her husband. He who 
cannot lie assures His people, *Lo, I 
come quickly. Amen.' And His peo- 
ple answer with the holy longing of a 
bride for her spouse, ^Yea; come, Lord 
Jesus.' '' 

John Ruskin called the Bible the one 
essential part of education. James A. 
Froude, the English historian, declared 
that the Book of Job towers above all 
the other poetry of the world. When 

30 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

Charles Dickens was asked to name the 
most touching story of the world's lit- 
erature, named the Parable of the 
Prodigal Son. Samuel Taylor Cole- 
ridge says that the richest passage in all 
literature is the Beatitudes. 

Walter W. Moore tells in his little 
work, '^The Indispensable Book,'' of the 
Bible's attractiveness in the following 
incident: Senator Beveridge, of Indi- 
ana, and a companion went on a long 
vacation in the north woods. They were 
thoroughly tired and needed rest. Pro- 
ceeding far from human habitations, 
they camped by a beautiful spring and 
were pleased with their surroundings. 
In a few days they felt a strong desire 
for something to read. The senator's 
companion expressed this desire and was 
directed to the magazines they had with 

31 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

them, but he said he had read them all. 
^^What is the matter with the Bible?" 
asked Mr. Beveridge. ^'Oh/' said his 
companion, '^I do not want anything 
dull." ''Why, man," replied the sen- 
ator, ''the Bible has more good reading 
in it than any other book I know of. 
What will you have, poetry, adventure, 
politics, maxims, oratory? for they are 
all here. ' ' He then read from the Book 
and when he had finished, his compan- 
ion said he never knew^ that was in the 
Bible. He asked for further reading 
the next day. First one guide and then 
all the guides listened to these daily 
readings and became greatly interested. 
The excellence of the Book is seen in 
the range of its subjects. It forms the 
basis of all just laws. We may study 
the Ten Commandments and the sum- 

32 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

mary we have of these as given by our 
Lord, and we shall find that they are 
the embodiment of all righteous prin- 
ciples, as they pertain to the individ- 
ual, to society and to government. The 
Pilgrim Fathers brought with them to 
America the Bible as their choicest 
treasure, and whatever is good and 
worth while in this country is due to 
the presence of, and regard for, the 
Scriptures. A nation that is founded 
on principles opposed to the law of God 
is destined to fall sooner or later. A 
nation that obeys and reveres God's 
law will continue and will enjoy pros- 
perity both temporal and spiritual. It 
has foolishly been thought by some who 
have been known as statesmen that it 
was belittling to one to pay much atten- 
tion to the Book, but the greatest men 

33 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

and women of the Christian age have 
had high respect for it. We honor our 
Pilgrim Fathers for their reverence for 
the Bible, and we cannot too highly 
appreciate their stand for the princi-, 
pies which it inculcates. 

Queen Victoria was once asked for 
an explanation of England's greatness. 
She unhesitatingly produced a copy of 
the Scriptures as her reply. She had 
a great mind and a keen grasp upon the 
affairs of men and nations. She was 
ready to recognize the authority of God 
and of His Word. The nation that ac- 
cepts and honors the Bible in its admin- 
istration of the affairs of government 
and urges its citizens to practise its 
teachings will be prosperous and a 
praise in the earth. 

Thomas Jefferson was a great char- 

34 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

acter in early American history. Al- 
though he was inclined to be somewhat 
skeptical in his religious views, he made 
this impressive statement: ^*I always 
have said and always will say that the 
studious perusal of the sacred Volume 
will make better citizens, better fathers 
and better husbands.'' All its teach- 
ings are pure and uplifting. It rebukes 
selfishness and exhorts to charity; it 
condemns sin and exalts holiness; it 
draws the mind from the sordid things 
of earth and points to the glories of 
heaven. 

Lord Macaulay speaks of ^'that stu- 
pendous work, the English Bible, a book 
which, if everything else in our lan- 
guage should perish, would alone suf- 
fice to show the whole extent of its 
beauty and power. '^ The noted Amer- 

35 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

ican writer, Charles Dudley Warner, 
says of the Book, ''Wholly apart from 
its religious or ethical value, the Bible 
is the one book that no intelligent per- 
son, who wishes to come into contact 
with the world of thought and to share 
the ideas of the great minds of the 
Christian era, can afford to be ignorant 
of." President Schurman, of Cornell 
University, has this to say : ' ' The Bible 
is the most important document in the 
world's history. No man can be wholly 
uneducated who really knows the Bible, 
nor can any one be considered a truly 
educated man who is ignorant of it.'' 

This precious Book has been the 
solace and support of untold myriads 
of men, women and children. Its 
promises have cheered them in the 
darkest hours that can come to human- 

36 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

ity. The great English statesman, 
William E. Gladstone, said, *^If I am 
asked to name the one great comfort in 
sorrow, the safe rule of conduct, the 
true guide of life, I must point to what 
in the words of a popular hymn is 
called 'The Old, Old Story/ told in an 
old, old Book, which is God's best and 
richest gift to man." 

The Bible discloses to man his true 
character. It has been called a looking- 
glass, for he who looks carefully into it 
can see himself as he really is. The dis- 
heartened will find that in themselves 
that is capable of an uplift as they 
note God's promises to them. They who 
think of themselves too highly find 
themselves pictured in the Scriptures to 
their own humiliation. This Book sets 
forth human nature in a remarkable 
light. Samuel Taylor Coleridge says, 

37 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

'^I know the Bible is inspired because 
it finds me at greater depths of my be- 
ing than any other book." 

Thomas Carlyle says, ^* David's life 
and history, as written in those psalms 
of his, I consider to be the truest em- 
blem ever given of a man's moral prog- 
ress and warfare here below. All ear- 
nest souls will ever discern in it the 
faithful struggles of an earnest human 
soul toward what is good and best. 
Struggle often baffled, down as into an 
entire wreck, yet a struggle never 
ended ; ever with tears, repentance, true, 
unconquerable purpose, begun anew." 
In speaking also of the Book of Job, he 
says, ^ ^ Noble book ; all men 's book. It 
is the oldest statement of the neverend- 
ing problem — man's destiny, and God's 
ways with him here in the earth. And 

38 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

all in such free, flowing outlines ; grand 
in its sincerity, in its simplicity, in its 
epic-melody, and repose of reconcile- 
ment. So true every way, true eyesight 
and vision of all things, material things 
no less than spiritual; the horse — ^hast 
thou clothed his neck with thunder? he 
laughs at the shaking of the spear. 
Such living likenesses were never since 
drawn. Sublime sorrow, sublime recon- 
ciliation; oldest choral melody as of 
the heart of mankind! so soft and 
great; as the summer midnight, as the 
world with its seas and stars. ^^ 

Bishop Butler, who died in 1752, 
said, ' ' To all who take up the oracles of 
God with integrity and honesty, the Bi- 
ble will ever possess the peculiarity of 
meeting every want, and appeasing 
every difficulty. In its pages every 

39 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

longing of our nature, the most super- 
ficial and the most profound, will find 
satisfaction. Here provision has been 
made alike for the tender susceptibility 
of the child and the mature intellect 
of manhood; and whatever shadow our 
imperfect knowledge may allow for the 
present to rest upon certain of its 
statements, the mourner will still find 
solace in the songs of Zion, and philoso- 
phy will drink wisdom from the para- 
bles of Galilee. It is true that all dif- 
ficulties may not have been removed 
which the enemies of Christianity have 
started; nevertheless, the marvelous 
success with which most of them have 
already been met must convince any 
fair mind that such as still remain are 
not insurmountable, and that here, if 
anywhere, it befits our weakness Ho be 

40 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

thankful and to wait.' " Bishop But- 
ler spoke with prophetic vision. 

William Wilberforce was an English 
statesman and philanthropist, and a 
man who honored the Holy Scriptures. 
In his dying hour he said to a friend, 
^^Read the Bible; let no religious book 
take its place. Through all my perplex- 
ities and distresses I never read any 
other book, and I never knew the want 
of any other. It has been my hourly 
study ; and all my knowledge of the doc- 
trines, and all my acquaintance with 
the experience and realities of religion, 
have been derived from the Bible only. ' ' 

On one occasion when Daniel Web- 
ster was commended for his superior 
eloquence, he said, ^*If anything I have 
ever said or written deserves the fee- 
blest encomiums of my fellow country- 

41 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

men, I have no hesitation in declaring 
that for their partiality I am indebted, 
solely indebted, to the daily and atten- 
tive perusal of the Holy Scriptures, the 
source of all true poetry and eloquence, 
as well as of all good and all comfort/' 

John Milton said, ^'Let others dread 
and shun the Scriptures for their dark- 
ness; I shall wish I may deserve to be 
reckoned among those who admire and 
dwell upon them for their clearness.*' 

Said Sir Isaac Newton, *^We account 
the Scriptures of God to be the most 
sublime philosophy." 

Lord Erskine offers this tribute to 
the Word of God: ^'My firm belief in 
the holy Gospel is by no means owing to 
the prejudices of education, but it arises 
from the most continued reflections of 
my riper years and understanding. It 

42 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

forms at this moment the great consola- 
tion of a life which, as a shadow, must 
pass away.'' 

M. Guizot, the great French states- 
man, remarks, ^'I have read the sacred 
volumes over and over again ; I have pe- 
rused them in very different dispositions 
of mind; at one time studying them as 
great historical documents, at another 
admiring them as sublime works of 
poetry. I have experienced an extra- 
ordinary impression quite different from 
either curiosity or admiration. I have 
felt myself the listener of a language 
other than that of the chronicler or the 
poet, and under the influence of a 
breath issuing from other sources than 
human." 

Sir Walter Scott is said to have writ- 
ten these expressive lines in his Bible: 

43 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

"Within this awful volume lies 
The mystery of mysteries ; 
Oh! happiest they of human race, 
To whom our God has given grace 
To hear, to read, to fear, to pray, 
To lift the latch and force the way ; 
But better had they ne'er been born 
Who read to doubt, or read to scorn.*' 

Rev. B. T. Eoberts wrote, ^^The Bible 
is a wonderful book. It never ceases to 
be interesting and instructive. The 
more we read it, the more we enjoy it. 
We always find in it something new. It 
is a field, the fertility of which increases 
the longer and the more thoroughly it 
is cultivated. The more there is taken 
from it, the more it is capable of yield- 
ing. It is a mine, which grows richer 
and richer the deeper it is worked. We 
lose interest in other books after read- 
ing them a few times. It is not so with 
the Bible. It is the oldest book in the 

44 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

world, and yet it is always fresh and 
new to those who devoutly read it. It 
was adapted to every period of the 
w^orld's history in the past; it is es- 
pecially adapted to our times." 

The same writer says, ^'Salmasius 
was one of the most learned men of the 
age of Milton. When ten years old he 
translated Pindar, and composed Greek 
and Latin verses. Balzac pronounced 
him infallible; and the curators of the 
University of Leyden, of which he was 
for many years professor, declared that 
their ^university could no more do with- 
out Salmasius than the world without 
the sun.' Yet this great man said on 
his death-bed, ^Oh! I have lost a world 
of time. If one year more were added 
to my life, it should be spent in reading 
David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles.' " 

45 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

John Wesley was a man strong intel- 
lectually as well as spiritually, and he 
pays this noble tribute to the Holy 
Scriptures : ' ^ I want to know one thing, 
the way to heaven. God Himself has 
condescended to teach the way ; for this 
very end He came from heaven. He 
hath written it down in a Book. Oh, 
give me that Book! At any price give 
me the Book of God! I have it, here 
is knowledge enough for me. Let me be 
homo unius libri — a man of one book. 
Here then I am, far from the busy ways 
of man, I sit down alone; only God is 
here. In His presence I open, I read 
this Book, for this end, to find the way 
to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning 
the meaning of what I read? Does any- 
thing appear dark or intricate? I lift 
up my heart to the Father of light — 

46 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

Lord, is it not Thy Word ? If any man 
lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Thou 
'givest liberally and upbraidest not/ 
Thou hast said, *If any be willing to do 
Thy will, he shall know.' I am willing 
to do; let me know Thy will. I then 
search after, and consider parallel pass- 
ages of Scripture, * comparing spiritual 
things with spiritual.' I meditate there- 
on with all the attention of which my 
mind is capable. If any doubt still re- 
mains, I consult those who are experi- 
enced in the things of God. «^ * * 
And what I thus learn, that I teach. ' ' 

Says Eousseau, '^I will confess that 
the majesty of the Scriptures strikes me 
with admiration, as the purity of the 
gospel has its influence on my heart. 
Peruse the works of our philosophers, 
with all their pomp of diction ; how con- 

47 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

temptible are they, compared with the 
Scriptures! Is it possible that a book 
at once so simple and so sublime should 
be merely the work of man ? Is it possi- 
ble that the sacred Personage whose 
name it records should be Himself a 
mere man? What sweetness, what pur- 
ity, in His manner ! What sublimity in 
His maxims! What profound wisdom 
in His discourses! Where is the man, 
where is the philosopher, who could so 
live and so die without weakness and 
without ostentation? If the life and 
death of Socrates were those of a sage, 
the life and death of Jesus were those of 
a God.'' 

Charles H. Spurgeon expressed his 
thought of the excellence in these brief 
and impressive words: ^' There is gold 
in the rocks which fringe the Pass of 

48 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

the Splugen, gold even in the stones 
which mend the roads, but there is too 
little of it to be worth extracting. Alas, 
how like too many books and sermons! 
Not so the Scriptures, they are much 
fine gold; their very dust is precious/' 
The Bible is an inexhaustible trea- 
sure. Sir Walter Scott says of it, * ^ The 
most learned, acute and diligent student 
cannot, in the longest life, obtain an 
entire know^ledge of this one volume. 
The more deeply he works the mine, the 
richer and more abundant he finds the 
ore; new light continually beams from 
this source of heavenly knowledge, to 
direct the conduct and illustrate the 
work of God and the ways of men ; and 
he will at last leave the world confess- 
ing that the more he studied the Scrip- 
tures, the fuller conviction he had of his 

49 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

own ignorance, and of their inestimable 
value. ' ' 

The Book we study is excellent in its 
origin, excellent in its scope, excellent 
in its purpose, excellent in its contents, 
excellent in its sublimity, and excellent 
in its effects upon humanity. 



50 



Ill 

THE POWER OF THE BOOK 

mHE word of God is quick and 
poAverful, and sharper than any 
two-edged sword, piercing even 
to the dividing asunder of sou^l and 
spirit, and of the joints and mar- 
row, and is a discerner of the thoughts 
and intents of the heart." These 
words may be applied most appro- 
priately to the Book we study. While 
it comes to us with full authority, writ- 
ten by those whom its several parts de- 
clare to have been their respective 
authors, and worthy of full acceptance 
because of its authenticity, and it comes 

51 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

to us with superior excellence of liter- 
ary merit and of scope and sublimity of 
subjects treated, it also comes to us with 
a power that is far above the merely 
human. It is, as De Quincey says, ^lit- 
erature of power. ' ' That there is power 
in it is plainly seen by comparing the 
different nations of the earth. In those 
countries where the Bible is not known, 
vice, ignorance, superstition and cruelty 
prevail. In countries that profess to 
have the Book, but where this precious 
Volume is not possessed and read by the 
people, there is not only spiritual blind- 
ness, but there is also a lack of material 
prosperity. In lands where the Bible is 
freely circulated and is in the hands of 
the people, the highest type of civiliza- 
tion exists and strong religious senti- 
ment prevails. 

5^ 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

The Bible has power to search out 
and condemn sin. It deals with truths 
that penetrate to the inmost recesses of 
the spiritual nature. It is far more 
than a treatise on ethics. It goes to the 
center of the region of choices and mo- 
tives. It does not make excuses for sin^ 
but condemns it. It goes still further 
and points to the remedy for sin. Pro- 
fessor James says that in all men there 
is a sense of wrongness and a seeking for 
deliverance from it. The solution of the 
difficulty is a proper connection with 
the higher powers. The Bible points 
out the cause of the uneasiness and the 
way to a connection with the only power 
that can give the desired relief. 

That the Word of God has in it the 
element of power is made evident in the 
figure used by the prophet Jeremiah. 

53 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

'Is not thy word like as a fire? saith 
the Lord ; and like a hammer that break- 
eth the rock in pieces" (Jer. 23:29)? 
The hammer is an instrument to be used 
where a great amount of force is neces- 
sary. The hammer alone is powerless, 
but it becomes a powerful instrument in 
the hands of a strong man. AVith it one 
can break the rock, fashion the iron or 
drive the nail. The Word of God is like 
a hammer, when, wielded by one who is 
moved by the Holy Spirit, it strikes 
upon the heart and conscience of the 
hearer or when the Holy Spirit takes 
the Word and applies it directly to the 
heart. Enormous pressure would be 
needed to drive a nail into a plank, but 
a man with a hammer is able to do it 
with little effort. A great amount of 
steady pressure would be needed to 

54 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

crush the rock, but a lad can break it 
with a hammer. The Word of God has 
again and again been applied by the 
Spirit to hearts that were like adamant, 
and they have been broken. Common 
indeed is the experience that a portion 
of God's Word has fastened itself upon 
the mind and heart, and caused such 
spiritual concern, that the person has 
sought the Lord with true earnestness 
and found Him. That Word has had a 
saving effect upon even the hardest 
hearts. 

In the foregoing passage from Jere- 
miah, the prophet uses the term fire to 
represent the Word of God. Fire is one 
of the most powerful agencies in the 
natural world. It breaks, it melts, it 
consumes. When uncontrolled, it is 
most destructive. When it is properly 

55 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

directed and controlled, it is of untold 
benefit to man. The Word of God, as a 
fire applied by the Holy Spirit, melts 
the heart, rendering it capable of being 
molded, and it consumes the impurities 
of the nature. As the fire and the ham- 
mer soften and break the rock, so the 
Word, directed by the Spirit, makes the 
heart right and capable of fully loving 
God and of rendering acceptable service 
to Him. 

Another figure used to represent the 
Word of God is that of a lamp. ^'Thy 
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light 
unto my path" (Psa. 119:105). One 
cannot appreciate the blessing of light 
unless one has been groping unsuccess- 
fully in darkness. Under such circum- 
stances light is a most welcome gift, 
showing the dangers and illuminating 

56 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

the desired and safe path. The Bible 
sheds pure light upon the pathway of 
life. It reveals the evil of the heart and 
the sins of the life. It shows the way 
of escape from the sinful life and points 
clearly to the way of holiness, the way 
that leads from the wilderness of sin to 
God's eternal glory. The psalmist gives 
us the figure of himself walking in un- 
certainty only as light shone upon the 
path before him. But for the light that 
shines upon us from the Word of the 
Lord, our path would be dark, and we 
should stumble and fall into the pit of 
eternal night and despair. Spurgeon 
says, '^We are w^alkers through the city 
of this world, and we are often called to 
go out into the darkness; let us never 
venture there without the light-giving 
Word, lest we slip with our feet. Each 

57 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

man should use the Word of God per- 
sonally, practically and habitually, that 
he may see his way and what lies in it. 
When darkness settles down upon all 
around me, the Word of the Lord, like 
a flaming torch, reveals my way. Hav- 
ing no fixed lamps in Eastern towns, in 
olden times each passenger carried a 
lantern with him that he might not fall 
into the open sewer, or stumble over the 
heaps of ordure that defiled the road. 
This is a true picture of our path 
through this dark world : we should not 
know the way, or how to walk in it, if 
Scripture, like a blazing flambeau, did 
not reveal it.'' 

D. L. Moody relates this incident to 
illustrate the illuminating power of di- 
vine truth : ^ ^ When I was going 
through the land of Goshen in Egypt, a 

58 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

few years ago, as I came near the city 
of Alexandria, I saw the strangest sight 
I had ever seen. The heavens were 
lighted up with a new kind of light, and 
there seemed to be flash after flash; I 
could not understand it. I had heard 
that the Khedive had died, and that a 
new Khedive was coming into power. I 
found later that England had sent over 
some war vessels, and the moment that 
darkness came on, they had turned their 
searchlights upon that city; it was al- 
most as light as noonday. Every street 
was lighted up, and I do not suppose 
that ten men could have met in any part 
of Alexandria without being discovered 
by that search-light. May God turn His 
search-light upon us, and see if there be 
any evil way in us." 

The Word of God is called a sword. 

59 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

''And take * * * the sword of the 
Spirit, which is the word of God^' 
(Eph. 6: 17). The sword is of so great 
account in warfare that it has come to 
represent all the weapons used in battle, 
as is seen in the adage, ''The pen is 
mightier than the sword/' The fact 
that Paul b}^ the Spirit makes use of 
this term indicates that the Christian is 
engaged in a conflict. He has a wily and 
stubborn foe to overcome, and his chief 
weapon of offense is the sword of the 
Spirit, the Word of God. Jesus Him- 
self used this weapon when He was as- 
saulted by Satan in the great tempta- 
tion in the wilderness. As the enemy 
was defeated then, so the child of God 
is provided with the sword of the Spirit, 
a weapon so powerful and effective that 
Satan can not stand against it. Gur- 

60 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

nail, a preacher of the seventeenth cen- 
tury, said, ^'The sword was ever es- 
teemed a most necessary part of the sol- 
dier's furniture, and therefore hath ob- 
tained a more general use in all ages 
and among all nations than any other 
weapon. Most nations have some par- 
ticular weapons proper to themselves; 
but few or none come into the field 
without a sword. A pilot without his 
chart, a scholar without his book and a 
soldier without his sword, are alike ri- 
diculous. But above all these, absurd is 
it for one to think of being a Christian, 
without knowledge of the "Word of God, 
and some skill to use this weapon. The 
usual name in Scripture for war is the 
sword, ^I will call for a sword upon all 
the inhabitants of the earth,' that is, I 
will send war. And this because the 

6i 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

sword is the weapon of most universal 
use in war, and also that whereby the 
greatest execution is done in battle. 
Now such a weapon is the Word of God 
in the Christian's hand. By the edge of 
this his enemies fall, and his great ex- 
ploits are done.'' 

The power of the Word of the Lord 
is further shown by what Jesus said, 
^'The words that I speak unto you, the}^ 
are spirit, and they are life" (John 6: 
63), and from what God had long be- 
fore said to Israel, '^Man doth not live 
by bread only, but by every word that 
proceedeth out of the mouth of the 
Lord doth man live" (Deut. 8:3), and 
later quoted by our Lord (Luke 4:4). 
There is life, and therefore energy, in 
the Word of God. The entrance of that 
Word giveth life (Psa. 119:130). The 

62 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

Bible is a power in that it points the 
way to spiritual and eternal life. He 
who receives the Word and feeds upon 
it will become more and more enlarged 
in his spiritual life. It is impossible to 
increase in spiritual life without receiv- 
ing and meditating upon God's Word. 

The Book we study has the power to 
lead to the conquest of sin. ' ^ Thy word 
have I hid in mine heart, that I might 
not sin against thee'' (Psa. 119:11). 
Where the Word has its designed effect, 
the power of sin is broken. ^^The law 
of the Lord is perfect, converting the 
soul" (Psa. 19:7). Says C. H. Spur- 
geon, *^The practical effect of the Word 
of God is to turn the man to himself, to 
his God, and to holiness; and the turn 
or conversion is not outward alone, 'the 
soul' is moved and renew^ed. The great 

63 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

means of the conversion of sinners is 
the Word of God, and the more closely 
we keep to it in our ministry, the more 
likely are we to be successful. It is 
God's Word rather than man's comment 
on God's Word which is made mighty 
with souls." When the Word is hidden 
in the heart, a moral and spiritual state 
is produced in which there is an end of 
sinning. That Word points to Jesus 
Christ through w^hom alone sin is con- 
quered. He was manifested to destroy 
the works of the devil. It well becomes 
us to be very familiar with the contents 
of the Book, to have its promises, warn- 
ings and directions well fixed in our 
minds and hearts. No other so-called 
sacred book has power over sin or points 
to a remedy for the disease of sin. 
There is power in the Book to make 

64 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

the vicious good and peaceable. That 
heathen man recognized this fact, who 
became alarmed when his dog chewed 
and swallowed a leaf that had been torn 
from a Bible. He deplored the fact, 
for he feared that his dog would be use- 
less in guarding him from his enemies 
or in pursuing game. He thought the 
portion of the Word he had swallowed 
would make him altogether too gentle 
and peaceable for any use. This hea- 
then man had evidently seen the effects 
of Christianity upon those of his people 
who had accepted it. 

There is power even in a single sen- 
tence of the Book we study. A native 
of India on the coast of Malabar was 
anxious about his soul and had made in- 
quiry of various priests and devotees 
how he might make atonement for his 

65 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

sins, for they were a burden upon him 
and he longed to be free from them. At 
length he was told to drive blunted 
spikes through the soles of his sandals 
and to walk a distance of four hundred 
eighty miles wearing these sandals with 
his naked feet upon the blunted spike- 
points. The poor man was so desirous 
of getting rid of his sins that he at once 
undertook this terribly painful journey. 
He was told by the priest that if through 
loss of blood or weakness of body he was 
obliged to halt, he might stop to rest or 
to allow his wounds to heal. One day 
while he was resting under a large 
shady tree, where the gospel was some- 
times preached, one of the missionaries 
came to hold a service. As the mission- 
ary preached, the poor heathen listened 
and heard the words, ^ ' The blood of Je- 

66 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

sus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all 
sin/' While the missionary was preach- 
ing, the man arose and took off his san- 
dals and cried aloud, ^'This is what I 
want, ' ' and he became a saved man and 
a witness to the saving power of Jesus. 
The Book is effective in convincing 
of sin and in leading sinful and con- 
victed souls to the only relief to be 
found anywhere. Many years ago a 
Chinaman named Ting became dis- 
tressed over his sins. One day as he 
was passing along the way, he heard the 
voice of a Christian missionary saying, 
*' Jesus can save from all sin." Ting's 
interest was at once aroused and he fol- 
lowed the missionary to his home. He 
asked him what he meant when he said 
that Jesus could save from all sin. 
The missionary saw that the China- 

67 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

man was in earnest about his soul 
and he explained to him the words 
that had gripped his heart, and taught 
him how to find the Lord. Ting 
immediately sought in earnest and 
was clearly saved. The young con- 
vert was full of joy, and his interest 
in his fellow countrjnnen led him to 
preach the Word to them. One day as 
he was preaching on the street that Je- 
sus Christ was the only hope of salva- 
tion, his hearers became enraged and 
stoned him, leaving him for dead. He 
was loaded into a cart, drawn to the 
city wall and thrown over it. His life 
was still in him and after a while he re- 
gained consciousness. He went to a 
brook and washed the blood from his 
face, and then went back to the place 
where he had been stoned and preached 

68 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

again that Jesus Christ could save from 
all sin. This time he was arrested and 
sentenced to receive two thousand lashes 
upon his bare back. The punishment 
left him so lacerated that his enemies 
said he would never preach again. The 
doctors said he could not live. "When 
his friends came to comfort him, he told 
them that if he ever got out of that, he 
would go back to the same place and 
preach the gospel to his people. He re- 
covered and did as he said he would, 
and hundreds were converted. The 
Word had found a place in his heart, 
and had made him invincible as a 
preacher of its truths. 

The Word of God arrests the atten- 
tion of men and is so tenacious in i1^ 
hold that it is not easily shaken off. The 
following incident in the life of Mr. 

69 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

Moody, as related by himself, is a case 
in point: *^A lady came to me once 
when I was preaching some years ago 
in a western city, and asked me if I 
would not talk to her husband; that 
when she spoke to him on religion, he 
paid no attention, and she might as well 
talk to a post. I told her she better pray 
God to convince and convict him. They 
used to come to the meetings together, 
and often as I was speaking, I would 
see her eyes close and her lips move, 
and I knew she was praying God to con- 
vict him. They came about a dozen 
times during the winter. One night 
after he had taken his seat, I noticed 
that his eyes looked as if he had been 
weeping. I gave out one hymn after 
another, all bearing on the atonement, 
as that was the subject for the sermon. 

70 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

When I gave out the text, ^ The precious 
blood/ I saw him cover his face and 
bow his head, and he fairly wept aloud. 
He followed me into the inquiry room 
after the meeting was over, and said to 
me, *Mr. Moody, this has been the most 
extraordinary day in my life. When I 
got up this morning the words ^^ pre- 
cious blood" came into my mind. When 
I went down town to my place of busi- 
ness, the words, ^^ precious blood,'' were 
ringing in my mind, and all during the 
day it was, ^^ precious blood, precious 
blood. ' ' They followed me here to-night, 
and when you gave out your text, ' ' The 
precious blood,'' I could hardly stay in 
my seat. I cannot understand it.' 
*Well,' I said, 'I can;' and after talk- 
ing with him for a while, he accepted 
Christ then and there. He is now dead, 

71 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

but when I was passing through that 
city years after, I asked about him, and 
they told me in all the years he had 
lived, he had never lost his hold on 
Christ/' 

The power of the Book is seen, not 
only in the transformation of the hearts 
and lives of those who receive it, but 
also in the change that takes place in 
communities where it is accepted. John 
G. Baton was divinely called to labor in 
the New Hebrides whose inhabitants 
were cannibals. His friends endeavored 
to dissuade him from his purpose, but 
to no avail. He had received the Word 
in his heart and he was called to dis- 
pense it to the savages of the South Sea 
Islands. His life story is a story of 
Christian heroism. He endured priva- 
tion and opposition. His life was many 

72 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

times threatened, but he was miracu- 
lously preserved. The Word was re- 
ceived by the cannibals of the islands 
and they became gentle and loving fol- 
lowers of Jesus Christ. Of one of the 
islands it has been said, *'When Mr. 
Paton went there for the first time, 
there was not one who was not a canni- 
bal, but after a few years there was not 
one who was not a Christian.'' 

The Earl of Eochester was a pro- 
nounced rationalist. He seemed beyond 
the reach of the influence of Christian- 
ity, In some providential way his at- 
tention was directed to the fifty-third 
chapter of Isaiah. He decided that he 
would read it carefully with a passive 
and open mind. He read the chapter 
through and was deeply impressed with 
it He read it again and again and be- 

7Z 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

lieved that Jesus Christ was the only 
person that could answer to the descrip- 
tion there given. The Word of God 
took such a hold upon him that he be- 
came a true and devoted Christian, and 
he lived the Christian life the re- 
mainder of his days. 

Said Joseph Cook, ^^Do you know a 
book that you would put under your 
pillow when you lie dying? Very well, 
that is the book you should study while 
living. There is only one such Book.'* 

The Bible has elevated the standard 
of living wherever it has been received. 
Where the Book is not known, woman is 
considered an inferior being and is sub- 
jected to servitude and dishonor. Her 
children are taught to look down upon 
her. She lives a life of drudgery. She 
is simply suffered to exist. In these 

74 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

lands the children are neglected and the 
unfortunate are uncared for. When the 
Bible is brought in and its teachings ac- 
cepted, woman is accorded her rightful 
place and treated with proper defer- 
ence. Children are considered worthy 
of receiving attention. The sick and 
other unfortunate persons are cared for. 
The Bible teaches us our duty with re- 
spect to the weak, the poor and the dis- 
tressed of every class. The Book is de- 
signed to accord to humanity its rights, 
and will accomplish its purpose wher- 
ever its authority is recognized and its 
teachings obeyed. 



We ought reverently to thank God 
for the Bible. From its pages we learn 
about God and His love for us. We 
learn what is our true state and what 

75 



THE BOOK WE STUDY 

are our needs. We learn the way of sal- 
vation through Jesus Christ. We leam 
how to live the life that is useful and 
happy. We learn the blessedness of ser- 
vice for others. We learn about the fu- 
ture life and how to attain to the state 
of bliss prepared for God's people. The 
best attainable for us in this life and in 
the life to come is clearly and im- 
pressively brought to us in the Book 
we study. 



76 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: May 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Dnve 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



^^•n^- . %. ' 



^ 



.^-■■■^^ ■ .■ >^'^*^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 243 585 8 



"Wi 




V 



